[REVISION HISTORY]

Ricky Gervais' Netflix 'Alley Cats' draws mixed reviews

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2026-08-11 22:33 UTC → 2026-08-22 07:37 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the 7 August 2026 launch of Ricky Gervais’ adult-animation comedy *Alley Cats* on Netflix, the six-episode series has faced sharply divided critical reception. While the *Wall Street Journal* called the show “ferally ~~funny,”~~ funny” and *Variety* described it as “bittersweet,” other outlets such as *The Telegraph* Telegraph*, *Metro*, and *The Guardian* were highly ~~critical, labeling it~~ critical. Critics labeled the series “abysmal,” “lazy, crude and boring,” and ~~describing~~ even compared it to the ~~humor as “pub-bar comedy.”~~ 2019 film *Cats*. Gervais has responded to the backlash on social media, suggesting that viewers should be able to handle the content as adults and noting that “it’s just a cartoon about cats.” ~~The series, which follows~~ He further dismissed the negative press by sharing a ~~group~~ graphic titled “25 years of ~~foul-mouthed stray cats in London to explore themes~~ Ricky Gervais being finished… critical headlines predicting his decline,” highlighting a long history of ~~friendship, class, and mortality,~~ negative headlines throughout his career. He has ~~also been criticized for being “smug” and using dialogue~~ expressed confidence in the project, citing “word of mouth” as a ~~vehicle for Gervais’ personal opinions.~~ powerful marketing tool. Despite ~~the negative critical reviews and~~ a low Rotten Tomatoes critic score (fluctuating between 17% and 20%), the series has achieved commercial success, reaching the number one spot on Netflix’s most-watched charts. The show has received public support from comedy legend John Cleese, who described the animation as “quite wonderful,” as well as actor James Dreyfus. The voice ensemble includes Gervais, Kerry Godliman, Diane Morgan, and David Earl. No official decision regarding a second season has been made, as Netflix is expected to evaluate viewership data.

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